The School Growth Webinar series theme this month is Think BIG!
To Think BIG start by establishing a winning game plan that will serve to build confidence in the school community and keep you focused on your vision. Every coach knows the best way to win is to have the entire team on board with how to win the game. If even one person on the team doesn’t do her assigned job, the chances of overall success are slim. With success in mind, start the day by asking yourself three questions before diving into your work.
What does success look like--What is the end goal?
How prepared am I today?
Realistically, how long will it take to accomplish my goal?
Determine ahead of time who your players are and into which role everyone fits. Identifying strengths and weaknesses will help you determine this. Lay out for each one the tasks that need to be done and a time frame for each task.
Remember to keep in mind that coaching isn’t just a robot that you program and set in motion. The best coaches are encouraging their team members, helping where there is a weakness, and giving tips on how to do things better. This will boost morale and develop your team as you go.
What if, despite your best efforts, you find that halfway through the year the focus is gone and preparing for success has turned into survival mode? You thought everyone was on board, so where did your team go wrong? Was it because they just aren’t good enough to succeed? Were they not dedicated enough? Was it your leadership that led them astray?
While these are certainly valid questions, start by first asking if you provided your team with the necessary tools to get the job done correctly. You cannot outfit your team with hockey equipment and expect them to win the basketball game. Your team will lose every game and probably give up at some point. Was your team trained properly before being sent off to do accomplish their goals?
In order to train your team, you must know what will make your goals become reality. Even what you consider to be small steps will still see great benefit along the way. Set out an overall timeframe of achievement. Take the time to teach them the fundamentals. This is your plan on how to reach the goals. Then have the team practice what you’ve laid out for them. Check in with them frequently to make sure focus is still the same and the end goal is still in mind. The end result will not only be rewarding, but will make your team into a unified body with one vision and focus.
How has teamwork changed your ability to succeed? What if you have trained your team, but you still are falling short? Tune in to the seminar on Hiring Around Your Weaknesses.
